The Great Shepherd
I was reading through Philippians last week in preparation for the upcoming series at church, and I read verse 6 of chapter 1, which says, “For I am confident of this very thing, That He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
As believers, we should be developing a trust and confidence in the faithfulness and provision of our Lord and Savior, which is also why He identifies Himself as the Great Shepherd. It made me think about the 23rd Psalm.
“The Lord is MY Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the Shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies; you have anointed my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
When we talk about the Lord being our Shepherd, we really have to think about what a shepherd does. A Shepherd watches over the flock and makes sure they have fresh places to eat, which means the shepherd knows where the fresh places to eat are, and the flock trusts Him to take them there.
You see, Paul was confident, and David didn’t want anything. They both knew who their shepherd was. David was a shepherd boy, who learned what it meant to be a shepherd. He took care of the flock that had been entrusted to him to care for. He led them to greener pastures and made sure they had plenty of fresh grass to eat. He protected them from the bear and lion and carried them when they were sick.
When you look at the 23rd Psalm, it really is comforting to the believer that God is the Great Shepherd, who knows what your needs are, not just general, generic needs. He really knows how to take care of YOU. Not just food and clothing that the psalm talks about, but it really goes deeper to core issues we all face in life. David declares,” I will fear NO evil, for you are with me.” He goes on to say, “You prepare a table in the presence of my enemies.”
When The Lord is MY Shepherd, I can be at peace, knowing He will lead me where I need to go to find green pastures and not even be concerned with my enemies. He will fight on my behalf; He always does and He always will.
As the Psalmist illuminates, the flock listens to the shepherd as he leads them; it’s the only way to find places to eat and protection from enemies. It’s the only way we find out how He meets all of our needs. The old Hymn says, “trust and obey, for there is no other way.” Are we convinced that He is good and can meet all of our needs? Do we still trust in ourselves, which leads to struggles and unrest; or are we willing to allow Him to be the Great Shepherd, leading me into all truth and being hidden in Him, where I can build confidence that He is all that He says He is and can do all that He says He can do?
JOURNAL: What are some ways today we can allow Him to be the Great Shepherd and entrust Him with an area of our heart that we have tried to feed and protect on our own?
As believers, we should be developing a trust and confidence in the faithfulness and provision of our Lord and Savior, which is also why He identifies Himself as the Great Shepherd. It made me think about the 23rd Psalm.
“The Lord is MY Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the Shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies; you have anointed my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
When we talk about the Lord being our Shepherd, we really have to think about what a shepherd does. A Shepherd watches over the flock and makes sure they have fresh places to eat, which means the shepherd knows where the fresh places to eat are, and the flock trusts Him to take them there.
You see, Paul was confident, and David didn’t want anything. They both knew who their shepherd was. David was a shepherd boy, who learned what it meant to be a shepherd. He took care of the flock that had been entrusted to him to care for. He led them to greener pastures and made sure they had plenty of fresh grass to eat. He protected them from the bear and lion and carried them when they were sick.
When you look at the 23rd Psalm, it really is comforting to the believer that God is the Great Shepherd, who knows what your needs are, not just general, generic needs. He really knows how to take care of YOU. Not just food and clothing that the psalm talks about, but it really goes deeper to core issues we all face in life. David declares,” I will fear NO evil, for you are with me.” He goes on to say, “You prepare a table in the presence of my enemies.”
When The Lord is MY Shepherd, I can be at peace, knowing He will lead me where I need to go to find green pastures and not even be concerned with my enemies. He will fight on my behalf; He always does and He always will.
As the Psalmist illuminates, the flock listens to the shepherd as he leads them; it’s the only way to find places to eat and protection from enemies. It’s the only way we find out how He meets all of our needs. The old Hymn says, “trust and obey, for there is no other way.” Are we convinced that He is good and can meet all of our needs? Do we still trust in ourselves, which leads to struggles and unrest; or are we willing to allow Him to be the Great Shepherd, leading me into all truth and being hidden in Him, where I can build confidence that He is all that He says He is and can do all that He says He can do?
JOURNAL: What are some ways today we can allow Him to be the Great Shepherd and entrust Him with an area of our heart that we have tried to feed and protect on our own?
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